Gossip at the races

Doesn't it seem like she'd be at the races? Or maybe a summer picnic, watching a 3-legged race. And more lemonade, cookies and ice-cream. She's a little skeptical about what she's just heard...

6" x 6" / oil on archival panel / NFS

Spring fling

I've openly stated (many times!) when I've been frustrated and felt like I'd lost the ability to paint. And so it's so nice when you finish a piece and just feel...happy!

This didn't start out so well. First it was a painting of my bleeding heart flowers. Really bad. Wiped it down. Next it was a lush yellow tulip. That went south faster than the bleeding hearts. After another good wipe I almost left the studio thinking it just wasn't in the cards and then I decided to try a portrait. There was no one around to model so I flipped through some old magazines and found a number of photos reprinted from the 30s and some of the people caught my eye. They were yelling: paint me! So I complied. This one, as they say, fell off the brush. To me I imagined this dress was soft yellow and she was off to a dance where there would be lemonade and sweets. I'm going to try more in the coming days.

6" x 6" / oil on archival panel / $75

Ready for her close-up - SOLD

The glorious magnolia. There are a few trees in town that are just beginning to open up, others are losing their petals. I wanted to get a close-up of a bloom before they're gone for another year.

6" x 6" / oil on panel / $75

Peach orchard - SOLD

Congratulations to Barb Hillier of British Columbia. She won the painting from yesterday. Barb - as soon as it dries, I will send it out to you! Thanks again everyone : )

This painting is from a peach orchard down the road. As I said yesterday, there is a profusion of pink (and white) in the fields right now. Really quite stunning.

6" x 6" / oil on archival panel /  SOLD

Niagara peach blossoms - Win this painting

Our peach blossoms are out in full force. Orchards and orchards of frosty pink petals. It's quite beautiful.

This weekend I reached 100 followers! I love art-blogging. Sure, there have been times where I've been frustrated beyond measure but I have to say, I have been learning. I've met many generous, insightful artists who have encouraged me with their comments. And I have learned vast amounts from studying various artists and their work. It has really helped me develop my skills, which was my reason for starting in the first place. It's also nice to get feedback - kind of like group critique back in my school days (although decidedly less harsh ; )

So today I just want to say thanks! Tomorrow night I'm going to pull a name and send this painting out to the winner of the draw. All "followers" are automatically entered, as well as anyone who leaves a comment in the 24 hours. I will draw the name around 10pm (eastern) on Tuesday. Thank you everyone! Kim

6" x 6" / oil on archival panel

Open sky - SOLD

Note: Sunday's I take the day off and post a larger painting from my website.

This is a painting I did a few years back. There had just been a terrific spring rainstorm and the sky was just moving! I had to work fast to catch the impression. It's exhilarating painting in such dramatic weather. Sometimes when paintings sell you know nothing about the buyer or where they go. Other times you do find out a bit - I always like that. This one sold from a gallery and I was told the couple that came in bought it as an anniversary gift for an older couple "who had everything". I thought it was brave and lovely that these guys took a chance on such a personal gift!

p.s. tune in tomorrow for a special announcement!

Grape hyacinths - SOLD

This is the finished piece from Wednesday. I was always curious and enchanted about these flowers when I was a kid - to my eyes, really looking like a bunch of grapes.

I liked my initial painting from Wednesday and almost wanted to leave it unfinished like that. I have a problem that way : ) Often, I lay in the quick underpainting and am afraid to further develop the piece because I fear it will lose it's quick energy. Does anyone else suffer from this affliction?

6" x 6" / oil on archival panel / $75

Along the creek - SOLD

The woods along the creek. Spring is here and the fresh yellow green of the new leaves is sparkling everywhere you look.

6" x 6" / oil on archival panel / $75

Magnolia in bloom - SOLD

Happy Earth Day : ) Gosh, it felt great to be outdoors today. A little fresh, but the sun was shining and all was good. This is a magnolia tree in full bloom. The petals have begun dropping, dotting the grass with lush pink and soft white. About 10 minutes before I finished it I almost wiped it down, but all the sudden it turned a corner : )

6" x 6" / oil on archival panel / $75

Grape hyacinths, work in progress

Only had about 15 minutes today but I got a start on some grape hyacinths in our yard. I plan on painting all day tomorrow so hopefully I'm in the zone (then again, you know what they say about the best laid plans ; )

6" x 6" / oil on archival panel

Line-up

Not a lot of time today, so this is just a quick painting sketch of tulips from the garden. I painted fairly quickly, roughing in basic shapes and values. I know it's just a study, but looking at it now, I think it might be stronger if I paint out the two red tulips on the left, or perhaps add a third further down the line.

6" x 8" / oil on archival panel / n/a

Forsythia

This is one of our forsythia bushes, looking out across the street. They are covered in blossoms - a shock of brilliant yellow. It felt good to be painting outdoors today!

6" x 8" / oil on archival panel / $75

Peter

And now for something totally different: a portrait - in watercolour. I haven't touched watercolour in, well, it's got to be about 10 years. So yeah - this piece has been with me for a while. On Sundays I take the day off and post something from my website but not usually this old! I'm always trying to simplify, and in this portrait I did something I had never been able to do before: squint and block things in, keeping it all to a minimum, just trying to say what needed to be said. Now, I was no master in watercolour (as evidenced in the background wash) but I had finally "got" something portrait-wise without looking totally streaky and overworked. Isn't it great when something flows? And don't you wish you could bottle it? ; )

Strawberry

6" x 6" / oil on archival panel / NFS

Breakfast! - SOLD

Yum.

6" x 6" / oil on archival panel / $75

Narcissus - SOLD

First of all, thanks to those who gave advice on how I could improve my piece from yesterday. Oh...was I frustrated. Lately I've been reading posts on various blogs talking about how you've got to stop getting down on yourself when you do a piece you think is crummy: it's a path of continual learning, don't compare yourself to others etc... And I know this and in fact it's what I remind others - but man! it's easy to fall into!

So I gave myself a shake and tried to start today with a fresh mind/clean slate. I'm posting the piece I worked on from yesterday - Quince; and then the piece I began with renewed focus today - Narcissus. Unfortunately the blues from the two pieces kind of clash, but I thought I should post my revised effort.

6" x 6" / oil on archival panel / $75

Quince

The same sprig from yesterday. Fought with the background on this one. Fear I was making meaningless strokes - if anyone has some advice for me on this - I'm open! I am however, pleased with the blossoms.

6" x 6" / oil on archival panel / $75

Quince sprig - SOLD

Today I had coffee with friends who have a beautiful yard. I painted there last summer, here and here. This morning we took a stroll around their gardens and I asked if I could have a sprig of their quince to paint. So here it is in one of my antique ink pots.

6" x 6" / oil on archival panel / $75

Hardy daff - SOLD

Today I picked this daffodil from my garden and threw it in the front seat of the car to take over to the studio to paint. I ran in to get a few more things, hopped in and drove off...and drove the whole way sitting on my daffodil! What the heck? lol. Needless to say it was a little crushed when I arrived. I popped it in some water and it made a comeback.

6" x 6" / oil on archival panel / $75

Young peach tree

Sunday post: Sundays I take the day off and post a work previously done, from my website.

This is a painting I did a couple of years ago in Beamsville, Ontario. A new peach orchard went in the year prior and when the blossoms came out, they all looked so dainty and sweet on such young, tender branches. A number of peach orchards in the Niagara region have been ripped out - it hurts! : ( It's such a spectacular site to see a peach orchard in blossom. Well, any orchard for that matter. And the scent....!

12" x 24" / acrylic on canvas

Three's a crowd - SOLD

This is a re-post as I am still not painting today. My patient is on the mend but it's a wicked virus! Monday everything should be back to normal and I plan to be back in the studio painting and posting. Maybe I'll get out to do some plein air. Our forsythia bushes are in full bloom and are just a shock of yellow. Fantastically cheery. For now, I'm posting another piece from December. Keep healthy everyone!

Cannolo - SOLD

Today's painting is a re-post because during the night one of my children became ill - really ill - and neither of us got much sleep. Later in the day we found out it was the Norwalk virus. By Sunday night it should all be a memory but for now, no time for painting. So I am re-posting a daily from December. Here's hoping the rest of us remain clear!

Little red

More kitchen things. Really needed a bit more time to refine the bowl. And now I'm wishing I'd turned the daisy so that it wasn't staring straight on. Ah well, tomorrow is another day ; )

6" x 6" / oil on archival panel / $75

My favourite pot - SOLD

I'm attached to a pot! I decided it deserved a painting all its own. I mentioned yesterday that I'm quite fond of this enamel double boiler. I bought it years ago at a garage sale and even then thought: It's so small, when would I ever use it? But it was cheap and I fell in love with the colour of it, so that's how it ended up in our kitchen.

6" x 6" / oil on archival panel / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

Kitchen things - SOLD

Some items from the kitchen. That's my favourite enamel pot in the background. It's pretty small so I only use it once and a while for cocoa.

6" x 6" / oil on panel / $75

Little daisy - SOLD

Back at it! Here is a daisy I plucked from a bouquet I got the other day. I put it in one of the antique ink bottles. Simple : )

6" x 6" / oil on panel / SOLD

Yellow tulips

Sunday post: Sundays I take the day off and post a work previously done, from my website.

This morning I thought I'd post this painting I did a few years ago of tulips from my garden. I LOVE tulips. Every couple of years I like to plant a new bunch - they really make me happy! So I have a variety: bright clumps, big old-fashioned bowl types (like these ones), tulips with pointed tips, and one of my favourites - peony tulips. The ones I painted here have a delicate honey scent. Mmmm.....

Easter Lily

To those who celebrate, Happy Easter! I love the scent of these flowers.

6" x 6" / oil on panel / $75

Rabbit sculpture - SOLD

April hath put a spirit of youth in everything. ~William Shakespeare

6" x 8" / oil on panel / $75